


I Don't Need Anything (But You)

by Lyss2011



Category: Annie (1982), Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - 1930s, Annie is Annie because I don't know who else she would be, Christmas Fluff, Fluff, Freya maybe? but Freya was so quiet and Annie is so vibrant, Gen, Kid Fic, M/M, Mutual Pining, so now we got a weird crossover thing but w/e, starring Merlin as Grace and Arthur as Oliver Warbucks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-26
Updated: 2018-10-07
Packaged: 2019-07-02 09:48:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 13,367
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15794040
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lyss2011/pseuds/Lyss2011
Summary: Billionaire Arthur Pendragon sends his secretary Merlin to choose an orphan to host for the holidays.Or, the Annie!AU no one asked for.





	1. Why would a kid need a coat?

**Author's Note:**

> If you've never seen Annie (I have no idea how popular it is outside of the US, or even inside the US) that's okay and I'm very interested to see how you like it and if the story makes sense since it's from different points of view from the movie/play.
> 
> Please note that I haven't fully written this yet and with how crazy this semester already is, I have no idea when I'll be updating. But your comments and kudos will make my day and motivate me to finish my work faster so I can write fun, nonacademic things!
> 
> Also, I have taken some (a lot) of the dialogue directly from the 1999 movie Annie, which I don't own, etc. Basically I was just lazy. And I wanted to look at _Annie_ from the perspective of not-Annie so it totally counts right? The title and the chapter titles are also quotes from the movie.

“You need me to _what_?” 

“You heard me. Now hop to it.”

“Hold on, let me clear out my ears-”

“I’m sure you can hear fine without clearing them out, large as they are.”

“Well I couldn’t have possibly heard you say to go pick out an _orphan_ to host for _Christmas_.” Arthur didn’t respond, continuing to go through a stack of papers on his desk. “Arthur.” 

“Yes, Merlin, you heard me correctly, now shoo, goof.” Arthur waved off his assistant. “And make sure the orphan is from one of the orphanages I send money to.”

Merlin didn’t move. “ _Arthur._ ”

Arthur looked up irritably. “ _What, Mer_ lin.”

“Why are you doing this?”

“Publicity, of course. Why else would I do anything like let a child into my home?”

Merlin crossed his arms. “Uh huh.” 

“Really Merlin, why ask a question if you aren’t going to believe my answer?”

“I already know the answer, I just wanted you to admit to me that you’re lo-”

“Get. Out.” 

Merlin got out. He figured it would probably be best to pick up the orphan before the end of business hours. Plus, the sooner he got this orphan, the happier and less lonely Arthur would be.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Merlin looked up at the rundown brick façade in front of him. This was the address the Board told him to try first, as if any of the orphanages in the city would be fresh out of orphans to loan to rich pills like Arthur for the holidays. He knocked, found the door was open, and made his way into the office. “Excuse me, I was told I’d find a Miss Hannigan here?”

A woman in her mid-thirties with frizzy brown hair turned to look at him. There was a girl cowering behind her with short reddish hair and a dirty dress that looked at least a size too big.

“And who might you be?” the woman, Miss Hannigan presumably, asked.

“I’m Merlin Emerson. The City Board of Orphans said that—” 

“Look it was all a mistake, somehow Annie ended up in the laundry and into the truck and then I had to call the cops, please don’t fire me!” 

_Well._ “I think you must have me confused with somebody else.” Not that he wouldn’t be reporting it anyway, this was one of the Pendragon funded orphanages, it needed to be run by competent people who didn’t lose little girls in the laundry. 

The woman fluffed up her hair and smoothed out her dress, looking him up and down. “Well then who are you?”

He barely refrained from rolling his eyes. If he hadn’t been in his work clothes this lady would’ve kicked him right out to the curb, but instead he was wearing the tailored suit Arthur had gifted him and he looked like a rich man ready to buy an orphan. Which actually wasn’t that far off. 

“I am the personal secretary to Mr. Arthur Pendragon.” 

“ _The_ Arthur Pendragon?”

“Ye-es?”

“The richest man in the country?”

“Yes.” Merlin moved into the room to sit down at the desk. The orphan girl was still standing in the corner of the office, trying to blend in with the cabinets. “The Board of Orphans sent me here to extend Mr. Pendragon’s personal invitation to an orphan to spend the holidays in his home.”

The girl looked up sharply at this, and he was about to ask about her when Miss Hannigan distracted him again by fluffing up her hair and saying, “I’m an orphan! I can be ready in five minutes.”

Merlin smiled tightly. “An orphan child.” He turned to the girl and his smile became genuine when he saw her grin. “Perhaps a child like this one.” Not only was she adorable, but she was readily available, and the sooner he could get out of the Hag—er, Miss Hannigan’s sight, the better. 

“Great idea!” the girl replied. “I’m a child and I’m an orphan!”

“Liar!” the Hag yelled, pulling the child to her side. “This here ain’t no orphan, this is Annie, and she’s my little girl. Besides, she’d just cause you too much trouble. You can have any orphan in the joint, but you can’t have Annie.”

Now Merlin was getting upset. He drew himself up to his full height and said, “If this has something to do with the laundry incident, perhaps the Board of Orphans should know.” He would tell them anyway, but it worked like a charm. 

“Merry Christmas,” the Hag grumbled as she let Annie go. 

“Just sign the paperwork,” he said, glad this was finally over, “and get Annie’s coat.”

“Coat? Why would a kid need a coat?” Merlin stared at her in disgust. She actually believed a child wouldn’t need a coat. 

“We’ll buy you one at Bergdorf’s on the way out of town,” he told Annie.

“Really?” Annie asked.

“Why so fancy,” the Hag grumbled as she opened the office door for them to leave. A pile of girls were waiting outside, and Merlin couldn’t help but smile as Annie told them excitedly that she was going away for Christmas. The children screamed happily and followed them out to the front door to wave goodbye as he escorted Annie into the backseat of the car.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

"Leaping lizards!" Annie exclaimed as they stood in front of Bergdorf's. "The girls will never believe this!"

Merlin took her hand, grinning. He loved when Arthur had him go to Bergdorf's. The exterior alone was gorgeous, white marble with large windows showing their merchandise, and an arch over the door. That it was right next to Central Park was an added bonus, and he couldn't wait to take Annie there once they'd bought her coat.

"C'mon, the inside's just as exciting," he told her.

They passed rooms full of china and cut glass, Annie exclaiming and pulling on Merlin's hand the whole time. "Mr. Merlin, look at this! Look how it shines! Oh, sir, this is wonderful!"

After wandering the store and marveling at the sheer size of it, they found a coat, shoes, and a new ready-made dress for Annie. Merlin assured her they could shop more the next day, since she kept pointing out dresses and toys the other girls in the orphanage would love. It was obvious she wanted to share her good fortune with her friends, and it made him love her even more.

Her new coat wrapped around her, Annie skipped out of the store and let Merlin take her over to Central Park, where he purchased a roasted corn for each of them to eat as they walked the park. He felt as if he'd known her much longer than an afternoon, and he couldn't wait to show her where she'd be living for the next two weeks. And Arthur was going to _adore_ her. Maybe he would...but it was too soon to tell.

"Mr. Gaius, we just went on an amazing adventure!" she exclaimed as she slid into the car. 

Gaius smiled at her from the driver's seat. "Where did you go?"

"Well first we went to Bergdorf's when you dropped us off, and it was beautiful! And the ladies were beautiful too, and the men were so handsome, much more like Mr. Merlin than Mr. Bundles. And they had so many choices for dresses and coats and shoes and anything you could think of! And then Mr. Merlin took me to the park and we ate corn and it was just swell!"

Merlin looked at Gaius, who was smiling fondly. "I think this little bearcat's ready to go home now, don't you think Gaius? I can't wait to hear what you have to say about Mr. Pendragon's house."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've tried to include some 1920's-1930's slang mostly because it's awesome.  
> goof: stupid or bumbling person, also means boyfriend ;) ;) ;)  
> leaping lizards: an exclamation Annie uses in the movie a lot  
> bearcat: a fiery girl


	2. But orphans are boys

Annie was in raptures before they even entered the front gate. “You live here? And- and I’m going to live here for two whole weeks? This is amazing!”

He couldn’t help grinning at her. “Just wait til you see the inside. There’s an indoor pool and a tennis court and you’ll get a big fluffy bed all to yourself.”

Once they got inside, Annie’s mouth dropped open and she stopped talking for the first time since they’d gotten out of the orphanage. She kept spinning around, staring at the ceiling, the floors, the marble columns, and probably the large volume of servants that had crowded in the hall to see the new visitor.

“Everybody, this is Annie. She’ll be staying with us through New Year’s. Annie, this is…everybody.”

She nodded. “Hello, everybody.”

“Now, if you ever need something, or want something, just stop one of us and we’ll get it for you right away. Our only request is that you tell us whatever you want so we can get it for you. We’ve never had a little girl visit before.”

Everybody got back to work, including Leon, the butler, who Merlin turned to for the whereabouts of Arthur. “Is Mr. Pendragon in?” he asked, avoiding using Arthur’s given name since there was a guest in the house.

“No, but he should be heading back from his visit to the factories,” Leon said as he took Merlin’s coat and hat. “May I take your coat, Miss?” he asked Annie. 

“Will I get it back?” 

“Oh, of course you will, honey,” Merlin answered. “Now tell me, what would you like to do first?”

“Well, I think…I’ll start with the floors. And then I’ll do the windows next, and—”

“Annie, Annie,” he interrupted. “You’re here as Mr. Pendragon’s guest. You’re here to have fun, not to work.” 

“Really?”

“Yes, Mr. Pendragon instructed me to make sure you have a swell time in the next two weeks. Now what do you say we get you a bath and get you into that new dress of yours?”

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Arthur was cold, tired, and worried. His factories were shutting down and people were losing their jobs, in the middle of winter, and at Christmastime no less. He had a responsibility to his workers and he felt awful, knowing what was happening to them and being hopeless to stop it.

“How was your trip, sir?” Merlin asked, meeting him practically at the door. 

“Don’t ask me about my trip, Merlin," he bit out. "It was a nightmare. My factories are shutting down right and left. It’s bad, very bad. I’ll be in my study. Mrs. DuLac, bring me a sandwich.” Gwen rushed off to the kitchen, probably to come back with something much nicer than a sandwich, not that he deserved it. 

“President Roosevelt phoned, he’s awaiting your call at the White House,” Merlin informed him, handing him a slip of paper with the memo. “And our guest is here.”

“Hmm?” Arthur looked at Merlin, who directed his gaze downward, to a girl who was smiling up at him. “Who are you?” 

“I’m Annie, sir.”

Arthur looked at Merlin, silently conveying his general confusion. 

“Annie is the orphan you invited for Christmas.”

“But orphans are boys.”

“Well I’m an orphan and I’m a girl,” the girl said. 

Arthur glared at Merlin and was about to tell him to return this one and get a boy, when the girl- Annie- opened her mouth again, her expression downcast. “It’s okay Mr. Pendragon, sir, you can replace me with a boy. It was nice to see your great big house, anyway.” 

Merlin waggled his eyebrows at him in a silent plea. _Pleeeeeease? I had to take her. I have a good reason, I promise!_

He arched his eyebrow back in question and pointed to his office with his head. _You had to? Tell me._

Merlin rolled his eyes and glanced down at Annie. _Not now! I have to take care of her!_

Arthur rolled his eyes back before setting his face to a pleasant expression and turning to the child, who looked intrigued by their silent conversation. “Annie, I would be delighted to have you stay here with me for Christmas.”

“Thank you, thank you Mr. Pendragon!” Annie reached out and hugged him around his waist before he could get away. This was why he wanted a boy. Boys didn’t hug. Well, except Merlin. But he was always a strange one. He patted her on the back. “Merlin can show you around, get you some new clothes and such.”

“Really, Mr. Merlin, _more_ new clothes?” he heard as he walked towards his office. 

“Of course, more new clothes! Who else are we going to spoil before Christmas?”

“You could spoil Mr. Pendragon,” she told him matter-of-factly. 

No one would blame him for turning around in that moment. It was only natural to turn around when someone said your name. And it was just habit to look at Merlin instead of Annie. And if he happened to see Merlin blushing to the tips of his ears that was just an accident. 

“And how are we going to spoil Mr. Pendragon?” Was it just him or did Merlin's voice sound more gravelly than usual?

“I’ll have to think about it.”

“Alright, you can think about it while we go put you to bed. I’ll introduce you to Miss Alice.”

Arthur wished he wasn’t smiling like an idiot right now, because he knew Merlin would be in soon after leaving Annie with Alice for the night.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Arthur was in the middle of a phone call with the President when Merlin returned, Gwen just behind him with a tray of food. “You’re coming to New York for the holidays?” he exclaimed, sitting up straight and looking up at Merlin.

 _Invite him over_ , Merlin said with his eyebrows.

“Why don’t you come and Mrs. Roosevelt spend Christmas with me?” He waited for an answer, and watched as Merlin seemed to freeze across the room. “Excellent,” he told the President when the other man had accepted the invitation, and hung up. 

“They’re coming for Christmas dinner.”

“That’s great!” Merlin’s face broke into one of his wide smiles.

“I’ll get started right away, sir,” Gwen said, bustling away.

“So,” Arthur started, stirring his soup to cool it.

“So,” Merlin replied with a cheeky smile. “Annie. She’s really a wonderful kid.” His smile dropped. “But the Hag, I mean Miss Hannigan, is terrible.”

He raised his eyebrows. "The Hag?" He could practically hear Merlin capitalizing the word. "You know you can't just go around calling women hags, _Mer_ lin."

"Yes I can! Watch me!"

He rolled his eyes at Merlin's triumphant smile and ate some of his soup. It was delicious. "You’ll never get a woman that way, you know."

He was expecting Merlin to counter with a quip about not seeing Arthur doing any better, but instead his secretary said much too seriously, "Maybe I don't want a woman."

Needless to say, he almost choked on his soup.

He wanted to ask more, but when he looked up at Merlin, he was blushing fiercely and fidgeting in his seat. He cleared his throat and decided to change topics. Merlin would tell him more in time. "So why is Miss Hannigan terrible?"

"The _Hag_ ," Merlin emphasized with twinkling eyes before he turned serious, "doesn't treat the orphans well. I mentioned the Board of Orphans when I arrived and she immediately went into a fit describing how Annie, quote, _accidentally_ got lost in the dirty laundry and was running loose in the City. Then when I told her I wanted to take Annie with me she tried to claim that Annie was _her_ child! Can you believe it? As if that little bearcat could ever be related to that horrible woman."

Arthur finished his soup and started his sandwich, knowing full well that Merlin wasn't done ranting and raving yet. 

"I think after the holidays I'm going to have a look around the other orphanages you support, they can't all be this bad, can they? I mean, Annie didn't even have a coat! And neither did any of the other girls! And when I asked about her coat the Hag said 'why would a kid need a coat?'! Arthur!" Merlin was pacing the room now, practically tearing his hair out over this. "You have to do something! Or let me do something, because there's no way I'm going to let this continue."

"Alright."

"And really, Annie is so terribly skinny for her age, I'll have to tell Gwen to feed her a lot while she's here. Wait, what?"

"Alright. Do whatever you need to do. Maybe you and Annie can go shopping for the other girls in her orphanage, and we can buy some toys and things for the other orphanages I support. You have access to the accounts, and it is Christmas."

Merlin beamed at him and took half a step toward him in some aborted movement before twirling around and making jazz hands. "I'm so excited!"

"That's because it's my money you're spending," Arthur grumbled, but he couldn't deny that he was grinning too when Gwen came in to check how much he'd eaten.


	3. What's New York City like anyway?

Arthur looked up from his plate to find Annie smiling at him from across the dining table. He attempted to smile back at her, and her smile widened. He ducked his head to shovel more food into his mouth so he looked busy. 

Merlin had insisted Arthur eat with him and Annie instead of working through dinner as he usually did when he was home alone. He didn’t really care where he ate, so he agreed easily enough. The problem arose when he had to talk to her. He never spoke to children; he had no experience talking to them and had no idea what to say. And Merlin, the lollygagger, wasn’t helping facilitate the conversation at all. He turned to Merlin to silently berate him for this, but Merlin was smiling at him too. He should’ve been upset, but he could never be mad in the face of Merlin’s smile. 

“Gwen, er, Mrs. DuLac outdid herself today,” he commented, trying anything and everything to keep the awkward silence at bay.

“I met her today!” Annie piped up. “And her husband, Mr. Lancelot. He taught me tennis in your tennis court. I like tennis, and so does Mr. Merlin.”

“I like tennis too,” he responded, and congratulated himself silently for getting this far in the conversation. “Lancelot is an excellent teacher, and a very good tennis player. Did you get to play against him?”

“No, I just learned how to hit the ball with my racket, but I watched Mr. Merlin play against Mr. Lancelot. It was really exciting! If you play while I’m here can I watch you too?”

Arthur’s eyes darted to where Merlin sat. He knew Merlin and Lancelot played against each other but he’d never gone to watch. He wasn’t ready to see Merlin’s long muscular arms and legs on display. Even thinking about it was affecting him. 

“Maybe I’ll play Merlin soon,” he found himself saying, and decided a change of topic was necessary. “What else did you do today?”

“I explored your home, it’s huge! I think you could fit five orphanages in here! And there are so many people who work here, I met a lot of them.” 

“Like Mrs. DuLac.” 

“Yes, like Mrs. DuLac. I helped her make some gingerbread for Christmas!”

“Oh,” Arthur replied inanely. “That sounds like fun.”

“Did you do anything fun today?” she asked him. 

“I worked all day.” 

“Can I watch you work? I’ve never seen anyone do work except Mr. Bundles, but he doesn’t count.”

“Who’s Mr. Bundles?”

“He collects the laundry every week,” she said, and Merlin coughed. _Right, the laundry incident._

He cleared his throat. “Yes, you’re welcome to watch me work tonight after dinner. I will warn you, though, it’s very boring.”

“Annie and I were going to see a Broadway show tonight; she’s never been.” 

Arthur looked up at that. _Why are you telling me?_ he asked with furrowed eyebrows.

 _You should go,_ Merlin’s widened eyes said.

“I have a lot of work to do tonight, but I’m sure you’ll enjoy the show,” he told Annie. “It’s a real treat.” Merlin stabbed his fish to convey his disagreement, but Arthur didn’t care. He couldn’t—he just couldn’t. Not with Merlin. That was the kind of thing one did on a date, and…no. He couldn’t.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Merlin turned towards a pile of papers Arthur wanted him to file, hiding a snicker. Annie had leapt up after dinner to follow Arthur into his study to watch him work, and settled down in the chair opposite Arthur’s with her chin in her hands and her elbows on his desk.

Arthur stared at her in shock before “getting to work.” To Annie, it might look like what she imagined rich businessmen did, but Merlin knew that Arthur was only moving the papers around his desk. 

"Well, that's about it," Arthur announced. "Now you've seen what I do all day."

"Can't I watch a _little_ bit longer?"

Arthur shot a glance at Merlin before shuffling the papers around again. "I suppose so." 

As much as Merlin supported Annie watching Arthur do work, it appeared that every paper would be horribly out of place by the time they left, and it would be Merlin's job to reorganize them. Something had to be done.

“Don’t you need to call Geoffrey?” he asked faux innocently. “I thought I left a message for you that he called earlier.”

Arthur’s expression started to darken before he remembered that Annie was in the room. “So you did. If you’ll excuse me?” he directed towards Annie.

“Of course! It must be terribly interesting talking on the phone to important people all day.” 

“I—yes, it is.” Merlin had to hide another snicker in the ruffling of some papers, because Annie wasn’t taking the hints Arthur was not-so-subtly dropping. 

“When do you leave for the show?” Arthur asked him. 

“We have enough time for Annie to watch you work with Geoffrey,” he replied with a grin. Having Annie nearby was like getting a free pass to needle Arthur. He knew he would be paying for it later, but it was worth it.

Arthur closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Merlin felt a little bad but he knew ultimately it was for Arthur’s own good. 

“Yes, Geoffrey, it’s Arthur. How are you tonight? Good, good.” Annie circled around behind Arthur’s chair, and he watched as Arthur froze when he saw that she’d gone from her chair. Strangely, he relaxed when he found her behind his chair. 

“Yes, I understand you’re feeling the pressure. I’m... also feeling pressure right now.” He looked over his shoulder to raise a comically high eyebrow at Annie. She grinned and moved to stand right next to him. _Interesting._

“But that’s great!” Arthur exclaimed after a moment. “Yes yes, we’ll talk more after the holidays. Have a good evening, Geoffrey.” He turned to Annie and Merlin. “Production is up in Geoffrey’s factory, and he won’t need to shut down the factory any time soon. Geoffrey is the manager in one of my factories,” he added to Annie. 

“That’s wonderful news, Arthur,” Merlin told him. “In fact, we should go out to celebrate!”

Arthur’s lighthearted expression shut down _fast._ “I still have too much work, Merlin.”

“That’s okay sir, I’ve never seen New York before, so I’m just as happy to watch you work.”

Arthur looked up from the papers he’d just tried to re-bury himself in. “You’re telling me you’ve lived in New York City your whole life and have never _seen_ anything?”

“Miss Hannigan—” Annie started.

 _The Hag,_ Merlin mouthed at Arthur behind her back, pleased to see the corners of his mouth twitch.

“—she never lets us kids out. What’s New York City like anyway?”

“Well, it's— Hmm, let me think. NYC. It’s big, loud, and _tough_.” Arthur bared his teeth for emphasis, and the little bearcat giggled. “I can’t get enough of the City- the cab drivers, the crazy and busy atmosphere. Time Square, buildings so tall they touch the sky…there’s nothing quite like it.” 

“Why?” Annie asked. 

“Arthur is going to show you tonight why he loves the City, aren’t you Arthur?” He gave Arthur a look that he hoped conveyed both his stubbornness and his satisfaction at getting what he wanted.

"You can't talk to me like that." Arthur made a face at him for pushing the issue to the breaking point, but Merlin could see his resolve crumbling when he turned and saw Annie's brave but sad face. "Leon, we'll be needing our coats. I need to show this little lady my city."

This was going to be the best Christmas ever, he could just feel it.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

They walked along the sidewalk, getting roasted chestnuts to warm themselves up. Annie grabbed Arthur's hand and had him talking about his time in the City and why he would never leave. He kept coming back to "it's just home" which Merlin didn't think was a good enough answer, but what did he know? He didn't have an attachment to any city in particular; Arthur was as close to a home as he would ever get.

They stopped at an ice cream parlor for hot fudge sundaes, since Annie had never had one. It was fun to watch her eyes light up at the giant teddy bears on sale by the counter, the balloons adorning the shop, and of course, the case full of sweets they had to assure her they'd come back to another day.

And then, somehow, Arthur ended up on the phone. Working. Annie's eyes went from excited to bored while they waited for their ice cream. When Arthur looked up for a pen and paper, Merlin took just the _right_ amount of glee in handing him a sundae spoon and napkin instead. He was happy that it only took Arthur about ten seconds of looking at his disapproving face and Annie's glazed eyes before he promptly hung up the phone and prepared himself for his ice cream. 

Proving himself more astute than Merlin thought, Arthur purchased the giant teddy bear and several balloons at the shop, which he promptly pushed into Merlin's face to hold. Merlin made him stand there like the wet blanket that he was while he bundled Annie up properly against the cold. 

A little while later Merlin was happy for the armful of goodies when a snowball hit Arthur on the back and he turned around, glaring at Merlin. Annie hid behind him and the bear, giggling loud enough that Arthur would be able to hear, and sure enough, as soon as she popped out from behind him, she was hit by a return snowball from Arthur. She sent another his way, and he sent one back at her. She dodged, and his snowball hit an older lady getting into an expensive looking cab. In all of Merlin's years working for Arthur, he'd never seen his boss' face so stricken before, but then Arthur grabbed Annie and Merlin's hands and ran in the other direction, laughing at the close call. 

They had time for one last stop before it was time to hit the show, and Arthur and Merlin both agreed that it should be FAO Schwarz. There was a steady crowd around the front windows, in awe of the moving figurines and toys creating one of the best displays in the City. It was difficult to see the window through the crowd, but Arthur just swung Annie up on his shoulders so she had the best view, looking up at her face instead of at the display in order to see her reactions. Merlin had to take several deep, calming breaths hidden behind the giant bear; they were adorable together and he defied anyone to say otherwise. 

"Thank you, sir. That was amazing!" Annie told Arthur after she slid off his shoulders, and then turned to Merlin. "Can we go there to get some toys for the other kids for Christmas?" 

"Of course, bearcat. We'll go tomorrow."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Arthur couldn't deny that he was having a swell time. He'd needed this break, and to see his city through a young, fresh pair of eyes. Not that he was old, of course, no matter what Merlin said.

He, Annie, and Merlin were seated and waiting for the show to start, Annie going on about all the amazing things they'd seen so far that night. He smiled down at her, amazed as well. She'd taken the household by storm and she'd only been there two days. He couldn't imagine what might happen if she were to stay longer than the two weeks the orphanage was loaning her to them.

If he were being honest with himself, it scared him how easily she'd wrapped him around her little finger. She made it seem like anything was possible. Like this- he, Merlin, and Annie, together- could be his new normal.

He glanced over at Merlin, surprised to see him just as excited as Annie. It struck him that perhaps this was Merlin's first Broadway show. He thought he paid Merlin enough to be able to afford coming here, but then again, he worked him almost as hard as he worked himself. Merlin probably never had the time. 

Arthur tried not to look at Merlin during the performance but it was impossible. Merlin was grinning as wide as Annie, wider perhaps. The dancers and bright lights were nothing compared to the sight of his companions' happiness, and he had a hard time focusing on the show.

That didn't stop him from being able to sing along with the show's tunes as they exited the theater to find a new coating of snow on the ground. He hailed them a carriage and they all piled in, wrapping the blankets around their legs to keep warm. 

He hadn't really been paying attention, just feeling content at the night and the sparkles in Annie and Merlin's eyes, when Annie suddenly tried to jump from the carriage, calling out, "Sandy!" 

"Whoa!" he called to the driver, waiting until the carriage was stopped before letting Annie stand up. A dog came bounding up to her and into the carriage. "Who's this?"

"An old pal," Annie said, sitting down next to him on the seat. "Can we keep him?"

He never had a choice in the matter. All three of them gave him sad puppy eyes, and Merlin piped up with "Well, sir, you've always wanted a dog."

"What the heck?" What was one more addition to the family he was building in his head? "Driver!"

Annie fell asleep on the way home, curled around her dog. His dog. It was unimportant; his heart was so _full_. He realized he hadn't worried about work since the ice cream shoppe, just focused on keeping both Annie and Merlin happy. He already knew his feelings for Merlin, impossible though they were, but _Annie_... no one would disapprove of him adopting a poor orphan girl and raising her in wealth. He could afford ten Annies, but he just wanted her: her bright attitude even when he almost sent her back to the orphanage, her outlook on life, her excitement and the way she made everyone around her smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> slang:  
> lollygagger- idle person  
> wet blanket- party pooper, boring no-fun person
> 
> FAO Schwarz was/is a famous toy manufacturer/shop in New York. I visited a few years ago and they have so. many. toys.  
> \---  
> Please comment and let me know what you thought! <3


	4. All I want is my parents

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a reminder that I'm taking a lot of the dialogue straight from the movie and I still don't own the rights to it.

"Merlin, come to my office for a nightcap?"

It was possibly the most unexpected thing Arthur'd ever done, and Merlin blamed it on surprise for immediately saying, "Of course." He also blamed the surprise for his erratic heartbeat when he brought Annie up to her room before entering Arthur's office.

"It's been nice having Annie here the past two days," Arthur started, pouring them both a scotch. 

"Yes it has. I made a good choice, if I do say so myself." He grinned at Arthur, expecting him to push back, but it was a night for surprises, as Arthur simply agreed. 

"I want you to look into what would be necessary for adopting Annie. The household has done much better work since she's been here." 

That was more like his Arthur. "Of course. Anything else?" 

"She wears that old locket, perhaps we could get her a new one? In honor of becoming a Pendragon." 

_We?_ Merlin thought, his emotions in a whirlwind as he thought of the implications of that statement. He tried his hardest to keep a neutral face and sipped lightly at his scotch. Arthur had probably just meant that Merlin would be purchasing said locket so it would be as if they had both given it to her.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Two days later, Merlin found himself back at the orphanage to get the Hag to sign the adoption papers. To say he was less than pleased to be back there was an understatement, but he comforted himself with the knowledge that it would be for the last time. 

"Let me make sure I heard you right, Mr. Personal Secretary to _The_ Arthur Pendragon. My Annie is going to be adopted by _your_ millionaire?"

"Actually, he's a billionaire," Merlin told her behind a wide and fake smile. "And yes, he's going to tell her tonight."

"Ain't she the lucky one?" the Hag replied, her smile just as fake. 

"Yes she is. If you'll just sign here..." The sooner this was over, the better.

"If you'll excuse me just one moment?" 

Merlin nodded, confused. 

The reason for the Hag's swift exit soon became clear when she let out a loud and sustained scream into the hallway before walking back in and asking, "Now where were we?" 

Merlin's smile while she signed the papers was _much_ less fake than before. 

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

"The papers are all set, and the locket is," Merlin patted his jacket and then trouser pockets, "here." 

"If you had lost that..." he warned.

"But I didn't! And it's going to be fine, Arthur. Just speak from your heart."

And therein lay the problem. He rarely, if ever, spoke from the heart. He made all of his decisions with his brain- smart business decisions that landed him where he was today. But if he wanted to make a family he needed to use his heart. 

Annie ran in spouting something about how Gwen was allowing them to have a picnic indoors, but he was too nervous to concentrate on that. He told her he needed to say something first, and led her to take a seat on the couch. Merlin watched from the side of the room, providing him comfort.

"Did you know I was also an orphan?"

"No, sir, I didn't." 

"Yes, I...lost my parents when I was very young. And from that day on, I vowed to work very hard and become very rich."

"And that's just what he did," Merlin chimed in.

"Yes, yes. But Annie, I-I never realized..." 

"Until he met you," Merlin helped.

"Exactly," he gave Merlin a grateful smile. "What's life about if you don't have anyone to share it with? Do you follow me?"

"Sure!" He eyed her intently. "Uh, not really."

"Oh." He turned away, at a loss. Until Merlin, wonderful, handsome, perfect Merlin, gestured at his neck with an intense look in his eyes. The necklace!

"Ah, but this might explain it better."

"Oh, gee. Thank you sir." Annie was rather quiet looking down at the new locket, and that should've been his first clue. Even that first night he had dinner with her, she had only been quiet because it was a game she was playing with Merlin before she gave up and talked with him.

"I thought, you know, you have that old broken one, and off with the old, on with the new." He reached out to unclasp her old locket from her neck, but she pushed him away. 

"No! I don't want a new one! My mom and dad left me with this one, and a note saying they'd come back for me some day. Mr. Pendragon, you've been real nice to me, but all I want is my parents."

"I understand. I do, child." And this, _this_ was why he never opened up to anyone. He understood too well the wishes of a child for their parents, he'd experienced the same ever since his parents died. He turned to Merlin, who looked lost. "If it's your parents you want then I'll find them for you. But I'll need your locket and that note."

Annie backed away, hand over her locket. The poor thing probably thought he would destroy them to keep her for himself. 

"Annie, if Arthur says he can find your parents, he will. Even if he has to pull every string, right up to the president of the United States."

Arthur made a mental note to thank Merlin later as Annie slowly handed over the locket and letter with a thank you. "Annie, we're going to find your parents," Merlin told her. "We are."

Annie ran off soon after, to write to her friends about the new development. _At least someone was happy with the outcome of that talk,_ he thought wryly to himself. 

"I'm sorry, Arthur," Merlin said, putting a hand on Arthur's back. Arthur shrugged him off and pulled himself together. 

"Leave me, Merlin. I need to get started."

He did not get started right away. Once Merlin left, he locked his office door and sat down heavily in his wingback chair to contemplate the old, broken locket. Who would leave their child at an orphanage with a note and half a locket? It didn't appear to be a family heirloom, but it had to have had some significance to her parents. 

Ever so carefully, he unfolded the letter. It read: 

_Please take good care of our little darling. Her name is Annie. She was born on October the 28th. We will be back to get her soon. We have left half of the silver locket around her neck and kept the other half so that when we come back for her you will know that she's our baby._

Sighing, he stared at the fire, a plan forming in his mind. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry there's not a lot of Arthur/Merlin fluffiness in this chapter, I have to keep the plot moving. But I plan to put more in the next chapter!


	5. Nothing on earth can ever divide us

Merlin was extremely busy for the next few days. All of his instructions were Annie-related instead of business-related as usual. Statements like, 

"Merlin, I need you to mail this package to the FBI right away. Yes, it's Annie's locket and note."

or,

"Merlin, I want to put out a notice on the radio and in the newspapers: there will be a $50,000 reward for the couple who can prove they're Annie's parents. Include a photograph of Annie in the newspapers as well, would you?" 

Merlin groaned. "You do realize how many layabouts and crackpots are going to take you up on this offer, don't you?"

"Yes I do, and that's why you will be the one checking them first. I will only consider the possible candidates once you've looked them over."

Merlin called in the photographer to take Annie's photograph, and arranged for Annie to visit the radio station to appear on air. 

Of course, it was also Merlin's job to take Annie to the radio station so she could charm the audience just like she'd charmed him and Arthur. She immediately charmed the show host Mr. Aulfric, who talked with her all the while the songs were playing, and agreed to show her around the station after his program was done.

"And so, Annie," he said on air, "as we come to the end of another program, we'd like to thank you." 

"Thank you, Mr. Aulfric."

"And remember, all of you out there, Arthur Pendragon is offering fifty thousand dollars to the couple who can prove they are Annie's parents."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

In the few days between putting out the notices and Christmas Eve, Arthur, Merlin and Annie spent time together both in public and in the mansion. Arthur finally played Merlin at tennis, and neither thought they played to their personal bests because they were so distracted by their opponents. It was quite comical for Lancelot and Annie, watching on the sidelines.

They also went on a shopping trip to find clothes and toys for the other girls in Annie's orphanage. They were planning on having them over for Christmas. Arthur and Merlin steadfastly refused to think past Christmas Day, because if Annie's parents showed up on Christmas Eve they'd want to leave with her as soon as possible. 

Christmas Eve arrived too soon and there was a large crowd at the gate, all clamoring to prove that they were Annie's parents. Merlin decided to have them fill out a questionnaire regarding Annie that he would judge them against. 

None of them answered correctly. Merlin tore them up in his frustration. 

"Did they show up yet?" Annie asked, bounding into the office where Arthur and Merlin sat with the piles of questionnaires. 

"It appears that all of the people who claimed they were your parents," Arthur started, his hands on her shoulders, "were fakes."

"Oh. Well I'm sure my real parents will show up," she replied. "Maybe they missed their train or got lost or something."

Leon entered the room with a note on a platter. "Sir, this just arrived by a special messenger from the FBI."

"Oh, it's the information about Annie's locket," Arthur said, perking up. Merlin and Annie drew close as he began to read it. "Between 1918 and 1924, ninety thousand of Annie's type of locket were made and sold." He looked up at her. "The FBI says it's impossible to trace your parents through it. I'm so...so very sorry." 

Annie took the proffered note and sat down to read it.

"Leon, lets you and I go check on the Christmas decorations," Merlin said, trying to give the two some solitude.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Arthur's heart was breaking all over again. He couldn't be her parents, he couldn't even give her her parents when it was all she'd ever wanted in life. He had failed this beautiful, spirited little girl and he didn't know how much more he could take.

"You did the best you could, sir. Thank you for all you've done. You know, I guess a kid can do okay without parents. Looks like you got everything you wanted."

He chuckled without mirth. There was so much he wanted that he couldn't have. That society wouldn't let him have, even with all his wealth. "I'm afraid that isn't so Annie. I made a lot of money but something was missing-some _one_ was missing. Do you know who?" 

"Was it...Mr. Merlin?"

"What!? No!" He caught himself. "No," he continued in a calmer voice. "I was talking about you, Annie." 

He grasped her hands in his own. "Annie, I love you as if you were my own little girl. I want to adopt you. Would you consider it?"

"It's just that I love my real mother and father so much, I don't know if I can love anybody else."

Arthur knelt in front of her, her tiny hands still clasped in his. "I understand, but if you can find a place in your heart for me, you'd make my world so much brighter."

Annie looked down at the note and was silent for a few moments. "Mr. Pendragon, if I can't have my real parents, I think I'd really like it if you'd be my father."

Arthur's whole body was singing with happiness. He was floating, no he was- he was hugging Annie. And he never wanted to stop. "I have an idea," he told her, before calling for Merlin.

"Yes, Arthur, is everything alright?" Of course Merlin hadn't gone far, good man that he was. 

"Things couldn't be better! Telephone Justice Godwyn and ask him to come over and sign the adoption papers."

"Oh that's wonderful news!" Merlin hugged Annie tightly, and then turned to Arthur, hugging him as well. Arthur tentatively hugged him back. He felt like he was flying. "Oh Arthur I'm so happy for you, that's-!" he stepped back self-consciously and blushed. "Um, that's wonderful. When should I tell the judge to arrive?"

"Well, it's Christmas Eve, let's have the adoption tonight! Let's have a party too, tell Gwen to order in flowers and champagne!"

"And ice cream and roasted corn!"

"Did you hear the little lady? Ice cream and roasted corn! And all the Christmas decorations left in the City of New York!" Arthur twirled Annie around the office. He'd never felt so alive. "Merlin, extend our invitation to everyone in the house."

Merlin nodded, and Annie asked, "Mr. Merlin, will you be there too? 'Cause it's real nice when you're both together." She looked between the two of them hopefully.

Arthur looked up at Merlin, who was blushing faintly. "Merlin, will you join us?"

"I'd be honored."

"Wonderful. Let's get ready!"

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Normally Merlin would be complaining left, right, and center about having to decorate and throw a party last-minute on top of calling a judge, but he had never seen Arthur this excited, and he was so happy that Annie would be staying that he honestly didn't mind.

Merlin was checking over the dinner arrangements and decorations when he heard Annie and Arthur come down from their rooms to the front hall. Annie exclaimed over the state of the place, all decked out in Christmas decorations and flowers, and Arthur commented on the lovely gingerbread house Annie had helped Gwen make. 

"Merlin," Arthur eventually called. "The house is all spiffed up. It looks like we're ready." He looked Merlin up and down, and said, "That's a really nice suit you have on. You look very...one might say...handsome, tonight."

"Thank you, Arthur. You bought it for me." 

Arthur looked a bit bewildered at that, but then he grinned in that smug way he had, and said, "I have good taste." 

"Justice Godwyn," Leon announced.

"Godwyn," Arthur shook the judge's hand, "thank you for coming out tonight for this momentous occassion."

"I'm happy to be here. And you must be Annie. Well, Arthur, Annie, are you ready to begin?"

"Yes!" Annie and Arthur exclaimed at the same time, and then grinned at each other.

"Sir," Leon called out. "Before you start...May I present: the Munch's."


	6. The sun will come out tomorrow

"Who are you?" Annie asked warily as the couple approached her. Arthur agreed privately. The dark haired man and woman who had entered were hobbling together, gasping and sniffling into handkerchiefs, muttering about 'their little munchkin.' Their clothes were a far cry from Arthur's own, but, as Merlin loved to remind him, he lived in opulence and most of the country had taken a hit in recent years. 

"We're your mommy and daddy," the woman said, her face mostly obscured by tinted glasses and her handkerchief. 

"We're Ralph and Shirley Munch," the man added, turning his hat around nervously in his hands. "Ain't she a regular doll?"

"Annie...Munch?" Arthur asked. It just didn't sound right, but then he supposed no last name would sound right to him except Pendragon. 

Sandy growled and advanced on the Munch's, and as much as Arthur wanted to do the same, he had more manners than a dog. "Sandy, be polite," Annie admonished, but the dog didn't let up. 

"Leon, would you?" Arthur motioned for him to take Sandy away. He spared a moment to look after it, he'd miss the dog as well once Annie left. _If_ she left. He'd make the Munch's prove without a doubt that they were her parents. "Perhaps we should discuss this privately," he suggested to the couple. He could already see the distrust on his staff's faces. 

"Well we were kids- poor, sick-"

"And dumb," Mr. Munch added. 

"-but we had no choice. See a nice man in Canada offered us a job on a farm. No babies allowed. So we had to leave her, for a little while." 

Arthur felt his eyebrows raise. "Eleven years is more than a little while." 

"Mr. and Mrs. Munch," Merlin started, obviously prepared to tell them off in the nicest way he knew how, "yours is a touching story but-"

"But I suppose you'd like to see some ID." Mr. Munch pulled some documents out of his coat pocket. "Here's our driver's licenses, and um, Annie's birth certificate." 

Merlin took them and handed them silently to Arthur. "It appears to be in order. Born New York, October 28, 1922." He looked to Annie for confirmation.

"That's my birthday."

"That matches the date in Annie's note," Merlin agreed. He looked at Arthur with an uncharacteristically unreadable expression. He was leaving this investigation up to Arthur.

"Yes...I'm still not sure." Something just wasn't sitting right with him. 

"Finally," Mr. Munch said, looking to the ceiling, "we raised up enough money to come looking for our little girl."

"We got into town and went straight to where we left our little baby, and the very nice, very attractive lady at the orphanage said we could find her here."

"I still can't believe we found our baby," the man sobbed. The woman followed suit, and they both cried into their handkerchiefs. 

"Mr. and Mrs. Munch," Merlin said over the loud crying, "there is one more thing."

"Oh, you know, with all the thievin' that goes on in those places, I bet you don't have what we left with you all those years ago." Mrs. Munch passed something to her husband, who approached Annie.

"You wouldn't happen to have the other half of this would you?" He held out a heart-shaped piece of metal, and Annie pulled at her locket.

"Oh Ralphie, she's wearing it!" Mrs. Munch cried in her high pitched voice.

"It's a perfect fit," he said, waving it in front of Arthur's face before guiding Annie towards the door. "So, if you'll just get Annie's things, we'll be on our-"

"Mr. Munch, what about the money?"

"Oh," the man pushed his glasses up his nose and then pulled out his wallet. "I suppose you'll be wanting something in return for taking care of her. I ain't got much, but," he put a ten dollar bill on the table and patted it.

"You didn't know that Mr. Pendragon was offering a fifty thousand dollar reward for the couple who can prove their Annie's parents?" Merlin asked incredulously. 

"We sure don't want no money. We just- we want our little girl. Come on, Paul."

This time when Merlin looked at Arthur his expression was clear: _stop them!_

But there was nothing he could do. He wasn't Annie's real parent, and this was what she'd always wanted. He loved her too much to keep her from them, and even if she didn't love them now, he knew she'd love them with all her heart.

"On the other hand," Mr. Munch said, turning around slowly. "With fifty thousand dollars, we could afford to bring Annie up right. In what form might his money be?"

"Certified check. You can pick it up tomorrow, with Annie." 

"Tomorrow?" both Munch's said, looking at each other. 

"I'd like Annie to spend Christmas morning with us. If that suits you," he asked Annie.

"Oh yes, please," Annie said, stepping away from her parents. His heart leapt and he had to remind himself that she wasn't choosing him. This was the last night she would be spending in his home.

With that in mind, he reached out to pull her closer to him, but she was pulled from the other direction by her mother.

"We've lived without her for eleven years, we can handle one more night," Mr. Munch told his wife, prying her hands off Annie's arm. 

"Wait, wait, just one more look at my sweet angel!" Mrs. Munch cried as her husband led her out the door. "She's a dream, oh! A dream!"

There was an awkward silence after the Munch's left, until Arthur patted Annie on the shoulder and gestured out of the room. "Well, let's join the rest of the guests, tell them your wonderful news." It sounded stilted to his ears, but Annie just nodded and led the way to the hall.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

"Everyone," Arthur announced, his glass raised in a toast. "Annie has finally found her parents. Here's to Annie Munch."

"To Annie Munch," everyone else said, their glasses raised as well.

Annie looked between Merlin and Arthur and then turned and ran up the stairs. Merlin quickly handed Arthur his glass and ran after her. He found her sitting in the window seat in her room, her face buried in a pillow and her shoulders shaking. 

He paused in the doorway of her room, steadying himself. He had to be calm and reassuring for her, and then he could go and rant to Arthur about the unfairness of it all. Something about the Munch's didn't sit right with him and he was going to find out before they came back tomorrow. 

"You know, I bet where they live is just as nice as here. You're going to have a swell life with them, Annie, I just know it." He sat next to her and pushed some tear-dampened curls away from her face. "The sun will come out tomorrow, you just gotta hang on til tomorrow. Chin up, bearcat. Think about the presents we bought and wrapped for the other girls, imagine how happy they're going to be to open their gifts." 

Annie, brave little girl that she was, lifted her head and tried to stop crying, but ended up curled against Merlin's chest, crying again. "I love you bearcat," he whispered against her hair. "I love you so much."

Once he put a sleeping Annie to bed, he burst into Arthur's office, not bothering to knock.

"Hello, Merlin," Arthur said heavily from his wingback chair in front of the fire, not bothering to turn around. 

"This is madness. How can they be such terrible people and have all the information to prove they're Annie's parents?"

"You just hate them because they're taking Annie away, they're not actually terrible people, Merlin." Arthur sounded lost and defeated. "Want a brandy to numb the pain?"

"No I don't, and you don't either." He pulled Arthur's glass out of his hand. "We have work to do. We have to prove that they aren't Annie's parents!" 

"The birth certificate was in order, they had the other half of the locket, their story was absurd but we have no way to prove it. There's nothing we can do, so just give me back my brandy, Merlin." 

"We can prove that the Munch's don't exist, and that will be a start. Do I need to remind you that you have connections? As high up as the President, who should be arriving in a few hours? We can verify their documents, or at the very least their names. Which you would know are definitely fake if you had been paying attention instead of feeling sorry for yourself."

Arthur sat up straighter at that. "How do you know they're fake? And you'd better not say 'because they sound fake'. You told me my name was fake not twenty minutes after I met you."

"We've been over this: I didn't know who you were! And to be fair, Pendragon sounds like a name a child made up when he was bored and decided to keep because it sounded better than something boring like Emerson. But no," he continued on when it looked like Arthur was going to yell at him again. "When they introduced themselves it was as Ralph and Shirley Munch. But then when they were leaving with Annie, she called him 'Paul'. It took me a bit to realize because I was so shocked that they didn't want the money. Speaking of, there's no way they never saw a single notice about the reward. Especially seeing as it was for an orphan of the same name as their daughter."

There were a few moments silence before Arthur agreed. "Alright, it's seven o' clock now, and they're returning at nine tomorrow morning. We have plenty of time to put together a plan." 

Merlin grinned. "I'll go ask Gwen to bring us something."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Arthur woke Christmas morning to the sound of Merlin on the phone sounding frustrated. Their plan hadn't worked, but Merlin wouldn't give up. It was one of the things he loved about Merlin.

"No, you listen to _me_ , I-" Merlin turned around and stared at Arthur. "They hung up on me!"

Arthur blinked back at him sleepily. Merlin looked good, hair tussled and slim body wrapped in one of the blankets Alice brought them last night. "Thank you, Merlin," he murmured. "For everything." 

Merlin's eyes narrowed. "Why does it sound like you're saying goodbye?"

"I'm not! I just-" he scrubbed his hands over his face to wake himself up, "I just wanted to thank you, is all. Not everybody would stay up all night trying to make sure an orphan girl goes to a good home." 

"If I remember correctly, you let me sleep for two hours, so I wasn't 'up all night.'"

He pointedly looked at where he was lying on the couch with a blanket draped over his body. _As if you didn't do the same for me?_ he asked with his eyebrows.

"What time is it?" he asked out loud.

Merlin checked his watch and cursed. "Eight forty five. We should go," he gestured out to the hall where the Christmas decorations still declared today a holiday and not a tragedy.

They opened the doors to find Annie descending the stairs, already in her coat and hat, her packed bag and Sandy at her side.

"Merry Christmas, Annie," he said, and Merlin repeated the greeting. 

As they walked towards Annie, Arthur let his arm brush up against Merlin's, drawing comfort from the touch. He tried to make it as casual as possible, but it clearly wasn't casual enough, as Merlin pulled away and rubbed his arm, shuddering. 

Well. He had thought- when they were putting their suit jackets on before leaving the office- Merlin had smoothed his hands over Arthur's shoulders, but it had clearly been a dream. Merlin was repulsed by him. _Merry Christmas to me,_ he thought sarcastically.

"Merry Christmas," she replied, sitting down on the bottom step.

"Did you look under the tree to see if Santa brought you anything?"

"No, he brought me my parents. That's enough. Do you think they'll let me keep Sandy? And visit you, Mr. Pendragon, and Mr. Merlin?"

"Yes of course they will," he choked out as he and Merlin sat on either side of her on the step.

"You look like you didn't get any sleep."

If it weren't for his ability to think before he spoke, he would've immediately said something like- 

"Nothing happened!" Arthur shot a look over Annie's head at Merlin, the tips of whose ears were bright red. 

"What Merlin _means_ to say is that we were talking with the President and working with the FBI all through the night. They haven't turned up anything suspicious, so-"

"So I'm really a Munch. Annie, Munch."

He hid a grimace and nodded vaguely, hoping that would give her the reassurance she wanted. He couldn't just tell the girl he was throwing her to the wolves. Merlin gave him a hopeless look over Annie's head, and he had to look away for fear the tears building up behind his eyes would spill over.

Leon approached, probably to announce the arrival of the Munch's, but Arthur pulled him over away from where Annie and Merlin were now hugging, and whispered instructions in his ear. There was no way he would let those cons hurt his Annie- it was time for Plan B.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I gave you two cliffhanger chapters in a row! Please let me know what you think, good or bad!


	7. Together at last

"Where's our little Christmas present? We know she's here somewhere..." Merlin had to hide a sneer. The man could clearly see Annie just as well as they could see him, there was no need for theatrics. 

"Mr. and Mrs. Munch," Leon announced.

Sandy ran forward and barked at the couple, who backed away slightly. _Good dog,_ Merlin thought.

"You will let me keep him won't you?" Annie asked. 

"Why...of course. The only thing I love more than little girls is little dogs, don't I Ralphie?" She grabbed Annie while her husband grabbed Sandy. "Well, we'd better be on our way, with our little Annie-" 

"And our little check." Mr. Munch, or whoever he really was, held out his hand. 

"So soon?" He asked. "Annie hasn't even opened her Christmas presents yet."

"Sorry, we ain't got time," Mrs. Munch declared, grabbing Annie's suitcase. There was something about her voice when she said that, the way it dropped into something more natural than the high pitch she'd been using, that caught Merlin's attention. He'd heard that voice before...he just couldn't place it. But this was good, her disguise was slipping. 

"Very well," Arthur said quietly, "If you'd come this way we'll prepare the check."

The Munch's shared a look and sighed. They really were desperate to get out of there. 

"Ledges Certified check for fifty thousand dollars," he said, passing the check to Arthur. 

"Nice meeting you all," Mr. Munch said, grabbing the check and walking backwards toward the door. 

"We'd better get going," Mrs. Munch said, grabbing it from her husband. 

"Cheerio, toodle-oo, ta-ta, see you in church," Mr. Munch said, taking it back. They were almost at the door, leaving Annie sitting on the couch still, unacknowledged. 

"Aren't you forgetting something?"

They stopped and looked at each other. "Ohh, how silly of us, we've been childless for so long it's gonna take some getting used to. Come on, precious!"

Merlin saw Arthur's hands fist and grabbed his arm to keep him from pummeling Annie's fake father into the ground. It wouldn't look good, particularly with the President in the house. Merlin saw Arthur take a few deep breaths to calm himself, so he forced himself to let go and be a professional. 

Alarmingly, the Munch's practically ran out of the office and through the front hall, pretense almost forgotten. 

"Gaius and Lancelot are going to follow them once they leave to make sure Annie's safe," Arthur told him quietly as they watched. "And we should be able to get them on child endangerment charges if we still can't prove their real identities."

Right before the Munch's reached the doors, the doors opened to reveal a tall woman with blonde hair and dark eye makeup. She walked through as if she were the owner and not an uninvited guest. 

"What are you doing here, Morgs?" Mr. Munch asked angrily.

"Miss Hannigan asked me to bring the girls over for Christmas with Annie," she answered coolly. 

"The girls are here? How could you?" screamed Mrs. Munch. She snatched the check from Mr. Munch's hand and ran for the doors, abandoning all pretense of the scam. She hadn't gotten more than three steps before the doors burst open again and a gaggle of dirty girls around Annie's age walked through, screaming, "We love you, Miss Hannigan!"

 _God, I'm an idiot,_ Merlin thought. _Of course it's the Hag._

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

This was a disaster. Arthur felt helpless, knowing these cons were running off with his Annie. He should've given them a fake check, traceable money, something more than just sending Gaius after them. The only positive part of this was that the President was in the building if they stepped one toe out of line. Which-

-they definitely were. A new blonde woman had walked through the door, and Mrs. Munch was making a run for it. At least the Secret Service was in place by the front door to catch her. 

Except a group of children was doing it instead. "We love you, Miss Hannigan!"

The Munch's- or rather, the Hag and her accomplice- were running further into the house, hands clasped. He watched, dumbstruck as they ran past him and straight for the line of Secret Servicemen in the far corner of the front hall. 

"This is gonna be good," Merlin whispered to him, already grinning. 

"In the name of the United States Government, I command you to halt." 

"Who do you think you are, the President?" Merlin was crying from laughing so hard, and Arthur could feel a smile tugging at his lips as well. It was probably the exhaustion kicking in, but he had to admit that their botched plan couldn't have turned out better if he'd planned it that way himself. 

The line of men moved apart to reveal the President in his wheelchair, and the Munch's gasped and tried to retreat. But there was nowhere to go, the orphan girls were blocking the door behind them.

“Well if it isn’t the Munch’s," the President said, rolling forward with a piece of paper in his lap. "Or should I say: Miss Morgana Hannigan, and Mr. Mordred St. Regis, also known as the Druid, also known as ‘Dred the Dunderhead.”

"Ooh, dunderhead is a good one," Merlin muttered under his breath, and Arthur elbowed him.

“Also known as ‘Dred the Dead,” the blonde cut in. "You were gonna cut me out," she added in a dangerously low voice.

“Miss Morgause “High Priestess” Hannigan, also known as Phyllis the Filcher,” the President said.

“Also known as, 'What The Hell Morgs?'” Mordred added as he and Morgause were led away in cuffs. "If you hadn't come to watch over us with the kiddos we'd be rollin' in dough right now."

"You forget that Morgana and I are also orphans, Mordred. I couldn't just leave them there alone."

"Well then you shouldn't've come at all then!"

“It was their idea!” The Hag claimed, looking as guilty as ever, Arthur thought. “Annie, Annie, tell these people how good I always been to ya.”

“Miss Hannigan, I would…but the one thing you always taught me was,” Annie pulled the check out of the Hag’s hands, “never tell a lie.” There’s my little bearcat, he thought proudly.

“Brat!" The Hag pulled off her tinted glasses and hat and pointed them at Annie. "I’ll let you in on a little secret. I’ve never liked ya. You’re nothing but a rotten little gold digger! I’ve always been so good to ya and this is what I get? Huh? You drove me to this!” She kept screaming as she was led away by the police.

“Do you think you could add “the Hag” to her aliases?”

“ _Merlin!_ ” Arthur hissed. “I’m so sorry Mr. President.”

The President didn’t appear to have heard them, as he was speaking to Annie. “I have some important information about your parents.” He passed Arthur a sealed envelope. “The FBI traced the handwriting from your note to a David and Margaret Bennet.”

“The Bennets are my real parents? Where are they?”

“Annie,” Arthur started. “I’m sorry. It seems they passed away some time ago.”

“So. I really am an orphan.”

“Annie, are you alright?” Merlin asked gently. 

“I think so. See, I always knew my parents loved me and would come back for me. If they were alive.” 

Arthur's heart broke for her. He supposed he was lucky in some way that he knew his parents had died and wouldn't be coming back. It spoke to her faith and kindheartedness that she had held onto some hope they would come back for her, even as she spent her days in that awful orphanage.

He wished at that moment that he was better at dealing with emotions. Merlin was comforting her with a hug; Merlin who didn't keep asking to be her new father. He would have to do better by his little girl if she accepted.

“I guess you have to look at the bright side,” Annie said, stepping out of the hug. “At least I’m not a Munch!” 

Arthur used the lightened atmosphere to push his luck and approach her. “I hope this is the start of a wonderful new life for all of us,” he told her with a hand resting comfortingly on her shoulder.

“And I will see to it that all of you girls will be adopted by a fine, upstanding family,” the President added. The girls engulfed him in a giant hug with plenty of screams of joy.

“Oh and Annie picked out presents for all of you, they’re under the tree!” Merlin said when they’d given the President a bit of space. 

Arthur turned to Annie. "Annie, if you'd still like to be Annie Bennet Pendragon..."

"I'd like that more than anything," she replied.

"Well she already knows how to deal with your inability to ask questions that make you feel emotion, so..."

Arthur resisted the urge to roll his eyes or hit Merlin up the side of the head, and instead reached into his pocket to pull out the locket that had been there for the past twenty-four hours.

"I love you very much, Annie." 

"And I love you, Daddy Pendragon."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know Morgana, Morgause, and Morded are OOC here but it seemed to work somehow. 
> 
> Only one more (fluffy) chapter to go! Comments, kudos and criticism welcome!!


	8. Together forever

“Hey Merlin, do you want to play tennis this afternoon?” Lancelot asked at breakfast two days after Annie’s official adoption. 

“Nah, Arthur has me really busy with business stuff since it’s the end of the year. Maybe tonight instead?”

Lancelot grimaced. “Are you sure? I promised Gwen I would take a walk with her tonight and I’m sure you can think of some excuse to get out of work for an hour.”

“We could always play tomorrow instead, you know,” Merlin replied. “I can actually give Arthur some notice before I leave.” 

“No!” Lancelot looked upset. “Today, at two o’clock. Meet me outside of Mr. Pendragon’s office,” he said, practically running out of the room. 

“Alright…” Merlin said to nobody in particular. “That was weird.”

So just before two o’clock, he was standing outside of Arthur’s office feeling silly. He had actually managed to convince Arthur to give him an hour off in the afternoon, given that he worked an hour later at night, which was fine. He just wanted to know what was going on with Lancelot, that he needed this mid-day tennis session. Maybe he wanted advice when he knew most of the household would be busy? It had to be something related to Arthur, something that Merlin could help with and why Merlin needed to be standing outside Arthur’s office when Lancelot was rarely in this part of the house.

About two minutes later Merlin finally broke and leaned close to the barely-opened door. He heard Arthur’s voice first.

“Annie, if you want a mother, I could…for you…”

“No, that’s why you have Mr. Merlin!” 

“Well, believe it or not, Merlin wasn’t hired to take care of you. He’s supposed to take notes and field calls and keep my schedule for me.”

“But what if you married Mr. Merlin?”

Merlin’s breath caught and it seemed Arthur's had as well, since there was silence on the other side of the door. 

“Society doesn’t like when two men or two women love each other. It’s not acceptable for me to marry Merlin, even if I wanted to.” 

_Nothing like getting her hopes up,_ Merlin thought. _He could just as easily have said it was impossible without giving a reason._

“But you’re rich! Miss Hannigan says when you’re rich you can do anything and no one will tell you no.”

“Well, it’s not quite the same.” Arthur’s tone was conciliatory. “If I do something society says I shouldn’t, no one would want to do business with me, and a lot of my people would lose their jobs.” 

“But you love him, don’t you?”

“I—,” Arthur’s voice wavered _much_ more than usual. “I do.” Merlin took a shaky breath and stepped back, barely hearing Arthur say, “But it can never be. He doesn’t feel the same.”

Merlin looked at his watch and found that it was past two o’clock. Maybe Lancelot had meant a different meeting place? He decided to meet him at the tennis court; he needed to work off some energy and process what had just happened before he went back to work with Arthur.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

“But it can never be. He doesn’t feel the same.” Even if he did, Arthur knew nothing could come of it. What did he have to offer Merlin? They couldn’t marry. If they did begin a relationship Merlin would probably want to stop working with him, and that was the best part of his job. No, it was better this way. There was something bothering him though.

“Annie, how did you know I loved Merlin?” If a little girl who’d been in his home for a week could figure it out, his business partners would too. He would need to take steps.

“You like when he calls you Arthur instead of Mr. Pendragon or sir. When we were at the show last week and he called you Mr. Pendragon, sir, you made a face like this.” She contorted her face and even stuck her tongue out for good measure. 

“I did not!” he protested, but he was smiling. If he looked anything like that, Merlin must’ve gotten a kick out of his expression. 

“You’ve done it almost every time,” she insisted, her chin up in defiance. 

He scowled and bit the corner of his lip nervously. He’d have to take better care of his facial expressions, since Merlin addressed him properly every time he had a business associate over. 

“That’s it! That’s the face!” Annie exclaimed. 

“No, it can’t be,” he deadpanned. “It was definitely more like this.” And he twisted his face in an imitation of hers, complete with his tongue sticking out. Sticking his tongue out made it hard to keep a straight face and soon they were both laughing, and his heart was soaring. He was doing it- he was being a father. 

The next morning she asked to borrow Merlin. 

“For what?" he asked. "I need Merlin here.” 

“I know,” she said with a giant smile. Merlin turned to him, puzzled. _What does she know?_

 _Nothing, don’t worry about it,_ he said with a shake of his head.

“Its just a few minutes,” she pleaded. 

“Alright, you have five minutes, and then I’m coming to get Merlin back. Five minutes,” he warned as she cheered and pulled Merlin away.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

“So I was talking with Gwen and Lancelot about parents, and I realized that I don’t have godparents.” When Annie had dragged him into an empty room, he had presumed it was because she wanted to discuss the fact that he arranged for her to listen in on her conversation with Arthur yesterday. Now, however, he was just confused. 

“They’ll be wonderful godparents, Annie. You’re very lucky.”

“Actually I would like you to be my godfather, Mr. Merlin.” She looked up at him with a triumphant grin, but the desperation in her eyes allowed him to see right through her. 

“Oh Annie…I’m not going to leave. I don’t need to be your godfather to love you and care for you. I’ll still be here, working for your father,” he reassured her.

“But what if you argue with him and leave?” She shook her head and lifted her chin. “I won’t lose my family again.”

“Is that why you wanted Arthur to marry me?”

Annie opened her mouth to answer him but there was a commotion in the hallway behind them. 

“Leon, if you wanted to discuss staffing issues we could easily have talked _in private_ ,” Arthur’s voice rang out. 

“Sir,” came Leon’s voice. “It’s a delicate matter that requires discretion…” Hurried steps came closer and Annie and Merlin looked at each other in alarm and amusement. There was nowhere to hide—Arthur _would_ find them, and his, ehm, disagreement, with Leon would end. 

Sure enough, Arthur came bursting in the door, only to stop when he found Merlin and Annie in front of him. Arthur’s chest was heaving from yelling while trying to lead Leon into a private area to yell some more. His eyes, which had been narrowed in anger when he arrived, were wide with the shock of finding Annie and Merlin’s hiding-spot-slash-private-conversation. And his lips, those full, pink lips Merlin loved so much, were parted and inviting. 

“Sir?” Leon’s confused voice murmured from behind Arthur, allowing Merlin to drag his gaze off of Arthur.

“It hasn’t been five minutes yet, Daddy,” Annie stated, trying to fight a grin. “I’m still talking to Mr. Merlin about _very important_ things.” 

Arthur turned his head towards Merlin, eyebrow raised. _Which are…?_

_I don’t know!_ he said with a shrug and pointed look at the open door. 

_Find out,_ Arthur replied. _We will be discussing this later._ And he turned silently and left the room, the door mostly closing behind him. 

__“We will be discussing this later,” Arthur told Leon. Merlin grinned to himself, pleased at his accurate reading of Arthur’s looks, right down to the exact wording. “Please inform the household that there will be a meeting later today to discuss plans for New Year’s.”_ _

__Merlin waited until he heard footsteps retreating, and turned back to Annie. “Are you going to answer my question, bearcat? Is that why you wanted Arthur to marry me, because you don’t want me to leave?”_ _

__“In a perfect world, would you want to marry Daddy?”_ _

__“Yes,” he choked out. “But Annie, you heard what he said. It can’t happen, not in this world.”_ _

__“But you love each other!”_ _

__“Annie, I think your five minutes are up, you should go find your father. Tell him I’ll be back soon.” He was barely holding it together and he didn’t want to fall apart in front of her._ _

__“Time’s up!” Arthur’s voice called from the hallway. “I need Merlin back now, and it’s time to take Sandy out.”_ _

__Annie hugged him and left. He heard her telling Arthur how Merlin would be there soon. Merlin curled up in a miserable ball, his knees hugged to his chest. It was worse now, had been since he’d overheard Arthur yesterday. Now he knew that they loved each other, but they still couldn’t be together._ _

__“Merlin.” Arthur was suddenly right next to him, putting an arm around his shoulders, trying to comfort him._ _

__“Arthur, please.” He tried to pull away from the man he loved, but he wasn’t strong enough._ _

__Arthur’s arm tightened around him, and his opposite hand reached up to cup Merlin’s cheek, bringing Merlin’s face up to meet Arthur’s. “Look at me, love,” Arthur whispered._ _

And then Arthur kissed him. It was a deep, plundering kiss, as if Arthur wanted to taste every corner of Merlin’s mouth _now_ , and Merlin moaned into it. 

__Arthur pulled back, and mouthed along Merlin’s jaw. “We’ll figure this out, Merlin. I’m not letting go of you.”_ _

“Does this mean, _oh, Arthur_...” 

__“And to think I hired you for your communication skills,” Arthur teased, pulling back but still caressing Merlin's neck._ _

__"Hey watch it, dunderhead! Annie wouldn't want you to make fun of her godfather."_ _

__"Her godfather, huh? When was this decided?"_ _

__"Right before you started listening through the door," he said matter-of-factly._ _

__"How did you-"_ _

__"Your daughter has enlisted everyone's help to get us together, apparently. Plus, I was listening to your conversation with her yesterday. How else would I know that you loved me?"_ _

__"You-!" Arthur grabbed him and ground his knuckles into Merlin's hair._ _

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

__On Annie’s twelfth birthday, she celebrated not only her birthday but the newest addition to her family. She’d convinced Daddy and Papa that she needed a sibling, and he’d finally arrived yesterday from the same orphanage Daddy was from. It hadn’t been nearly as hard as getting Daddy and Papa to admit that they loved each other._ _

__Sure, Mordred was a little sullen, but her friend Pepper had been the same way when she was in the orphanage, and now she was just as happy as Annie, with her new family and friends. She grabbed his hand and set about introducing him to his new family: Grandma Hunith, Great-uncle Gaius, Great-aunt Alice, Aunt Gwen and Uncle Lancelot, Uncle Leon, and Sandy._ _

__“And of course there’s Daddy and Papa, who you already met.”_ _

__“Why’s Papa called Papa?” Mordred asked._ _

__“Cause he’s our secret Daddy. In public we have to call him Mr. Merlin. Nobody else can know he’s our Papa but our family, alright?”_ _

__Mordred nodded solemnly. “Does Papa have kids like Daddy has us?”_ _

__“You should go ask Papa that,” Annie said with a grin. Soon she’d have the biggest family _ever.__ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for sticking with this story to the end! Hopefully you enjoyed this chapter, it didn't go exactly as I planned and probably wasn't as fluffy or as clear as I wanted but in any case, let me know what you thought!! 
> 
> <3 Lyss
> 
> Edit: we can all just pretend Mordred's a common name in this universe right? because I totally forgot I already included him in the previous chapter...


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